Pure | Grayson Dolan Fanfiction

Chapter 17

Gabriella's POV
I stood there until Madison said,
"Oh my gosh, is that Gabriella Mirabella? Hi!" She said as she came in for a hug.
I hugged her back uncomfortably.
"Hi..." I said.
We moved to the side & talked.
"Oh my gosh, why haven't you returned my phone calls or texts?" She said.
"Oh, I've been busy with boarding school."
"Boarding school, huh?" She said with a look.
I nodded.
"Yes." I said.
"Wow, with...Grayson?"
My smile faded & Madison gave me a serious look.
"I... Uh." I said as I tried to find an excuse fast.
"Oh save it, Gab. We know about your boyfriend & how you're going to a PUBLIC school with him. AND we know that your daddy went broke & you & Gabriel aren't at boarding school."
I looked at her.
"What did you think? That none of us would find out? Ha, no princess. & I can't wait to tell everyone here everything. Your lies."
"Madison, why are you doing this?"
"Because...you ruined my family. It's only fair to ruin yours."
I sighed.
"Gaby, what does she mean you ruined her family?" I heard Grayson say behind me.
"I...uh."
I was interrupted by glass tapping.
"Ooo. Time for the toast. And time to put you in your place." Madison said as she went to the front of the room next to her dad.
"Gaby, what's going on?" Grayson asked.
"Grayson. I.." I was interrupted by Leo.
"Gabriella, we need to talk."
"Wait, who even are you?" Asked Grayson to Leo.
"I'm Leo. Gabriella's ex."
Grayson looked at me.
"Ex?" He said.
"Grayson, I can explain."
"I'm waiting." He said.
"I-" I was interrupted by Madison starting to give her speech/toast.
"Good evening, everyone. Thank you all so much for joining us tonight & helping us celebrate yet another successful year with my daddy's company. My dad always told me that there are secrets to be being successful. But then...there's just plain secrets. An amazing example of that is my dear friend, Gabriella. I've learned amazing secrets from her. I've learned betrayal from her. But secrets are her forte. Like how she lied & said she's been going to boarding school. But her poor daddy went broke & couldn't afford their life here. So they moved across the country. Gabriella & Gabriel go to a PUBLIC school, where she met her loser boyfriend Grayson, who makes 6 second videos. How pathetic."
Everyone gasped & looked our way.
"So toast not only to my successful father, but a toast to the Mirabella's pathetic new life in New Jersey. Cheers!"
Everyone murmured & raised their glasses.
Grayson looked at me.
"Grayson, I-" I said as Grayson walked out.
I ran after him.
"Grayson, everything has an explanation."
"No. I can't deal with this."
"Why?"
"Because...I'm just a guy from New Jersey & I fly to the other side of the country into this rich people world & I get all these things from your past thrown at me in my face with no explanation."
"I will give you one."
"Meet me outside in 2 minutes. I just need to be alone."
He walked out.
I went back to the party.
Madison came up to me with a piece of chocolate cake.
"Dessert?" She said with a fake smile.
I gave her a mean smile & grabbed the cake. Then I smashed it on her face which went all over her hair & white dress.
"Cheers!" I said.
She freaked out & ran to the bathroom.
I walked over to get my coat & walked outside to meet Grayson.
I walked out & I saw Grayson sitting on the steps.
"You wanna walk around?"
"No, sit." He said.
I sat next to him.
"Explain please. I'm going insane." He said.
"I don't know where to start. It's a lot."
"Start off with what happened with you & that girl Madison. Why did she call you out like that? Are you guys enemies? Friends?"
"Oh, Grayson. In this world you don't get to chose your friends. I was forced to be friends with Madison since we were kids. But we never liked each other. It was always a competition between us. Like who had the best shoes, who got the newest purse first. Basically who was most perfect. I was always dedicated to being better than her & sabotaging her in any way to be at the top. But one day, I went over her house & I peeked in her dad's office & I saw her dad with another woman kissing. I quickly took a picture & never told her. But I knew I was able to sabotage her & show everyone that her family wasn't so perfect. So I exposed her dad & soon her family fell apart. Madison was devastated that her parents got divorced & that was all bad publicity for her dad's company. Madison has hated me since. And tonight she found out about my secrets & she exposed me. Just like I did to her."
"Wow. This world is kinda scary."
"Yeah. You can't trust anyone. But that's not me anymore. I'm more mature. I've changed but not a lot of people see that."
He hugged me.
"But also can you explain me this ex boyfriend. Leo?"
"Oh, another long story."
"Tell me."
"Well, like I said. In this world you can't chose anything because everything is decided for you. And ever since Leo & I were babies our parents planned to have us together. To date & hopefully get married. Growing up, Leo was so good to me. He was my 'boyfriend'. We were always together that my parents were sure we were going to marry. His mother even showed me the family ring that I would get if I ended up marrying him. He always made me feel like a princess & gave me everything I've desired."
"...But?"
"But I didn't love him. Never did. I never let him kiss me. And I always felt guilty because he was madly in love with me & gave me everything. I felt awful knowing I didn't feel what he felt."
I sighed.
"But the worst thing right now, is that...he's still in love with me & he thinks I came back for him. But I didn't. And I hate myself for not loving him & leaving him when he needed me. He loved me so much but I was never able to love him back. And I swear I can feel my heart break into tiny pieces when I think of the times he gave me everything when I felt nothing for him."
I rubbed my head.
"I don't love him, Grayson. But I left him with no explanation. I just took off."
He looked at me.
"Make things right. Because if you don't, you will never be okay with that & you'll feel guilty for a long time." Grayson said.
He said as he kissed my forehead.
He got up & gave me his hand to help me up.
We walked back in & everyone was almost gone. I saw Leo.
"I'll meet you guys in the car." I told Grayson & my family.
I walked up to Leo.
He looked at me.
"I'm sorry." I said.
"For what?"
"Leaving you & not loving you the way you deserved."
He rubbed his face.
"Where did I go wrong? Why didn't you love me? I gave you my heart & everything."
"Nothing. Nothing wrong. I just...was never in love with you."
He looked at me & I noticed he didn't look at me the way he used to.
"Why don't you look at me the way you used too?" I asked him.
"Because I know I can't have you." He replied.
I can tell he was different. He used to look at me with such love. But I broke him.
"You've changed." I said.
He looked at me & got closer.
"Well...I sat back & saw you fall in love with someone else in front of my eyes. You tell me if you'd be the same after that."
I closed my eyes & sighed.
"I just...never wanted to hurt you."
"When I saw how happy you & Grayson were. I realized how unhappy I was...Why would you leave me without telling me?"
"I just did. It was easier than explaining that I wasn't in love with you & that I wanted to leave."
"You left me. And you came back with someone else."
I sighed again. It was all too much.
I looked at him & he was sad.
"Leo, please. I'm begging. Let me go & move on."
"How can I move on when I'm still in love with you? I've been stuck on you for so long that I don't even remember what it feels like to want someone else."
"I'm sorry."
He came close & held my hands.
"Save me, you're the only one that can."
I looked at him.
I didn't love him.
"I'm sorry, Leo." I said as I slipped my hands out of his.
"But I can't save you this time. I've never said this but I'm finally happy. With Grayson. There's no one I rather be with. I'm sorry."
He breathed in & out.
"You're just another story I can't tell anymore." I added.
"You made me realize how important it is to love someone. And that's the most important lesson I've gotten outta being with you."
"I'm sorry." I said.
"Stop saying sorry!!!"
I went to hug him.
He held me tighter than ever.
This was goodbye.
The only time goodbye is painful is when you know you will never say hello again.
I looked at him & we walked our own ways.
I stopped when he said,
"Even if we can't be together in the end, I'm glad you were a part of my life at one point. And I'm glad you're happy right now because that's all that matters to me. That you're happy."
"You will find an adventure out there & you will find someone along the way."
I smiled. And walked away.

-

A heartbreaker & a heart broken. Secrets spilled & truths told.
Told you this would be a ball.